D&D General Darksun Adventure sales from Ben Riggs author of Slaying the Dragon

[teitan]

That's not surprising. RPGs are (were?) an incredibly niche hobby. Most fantasy and sci-fi fans are voracious readers. Taking a chance on a novel is no risk at all. Worst case you're out a few bucks and you read a terrible book which you can trade to someone else for something you might like.

I would say are outside of D&D but that’s why you should play pf2e instead and here’s why *rimshot

 

[Zardnaar]

I think most of their money came from novel sales myself considering how poor the rpg started selling.

That's kinda been the narrative for a long time. Apparently the novels did better than the game in the 90's.

 

[teitan]

That's kinda been the narrative for a long time. Apparently the novels did better than the game in the 90's.

Makes sense. Novels are a low cost, high profit margin business. Paperbacks anyway.

 

[Parmandur]

So in the latest podcast Ben said that that the first novel sold more than all the Darksun gaming stuff, combined.

They also LOST on average a dollar for every darksun adventure they sold.

So that 250000 item sales year? It COST TSR $250000.

Start at 34:04 , but really listen to the whole thing.

Mastering Dungeons: Mastering Dungeons – The Secret History of The Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons Author Ben Riggs on Apple Podcasts

Show Mastering Dungeons, Ep Mastering Dungeons – The Secret History of The Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons Author Ben Riggs - Jul 21, 2022

podcasts.apple.com

I don't wonder why TSR went out of business, but I often wonder how they lasted so long...

 

[Reynard]

Makes sense. Novels are a low cost, high profit margin business. Paperbacks anyway.

Especially when you don't pay your writers what they are worth.

 

[darjr]

I don't wonder why TSR went out of business, but I often wonder how they lasted so long...

Massive endless loans listed as revenue

 

[Jer]

I don't wonder why TSR went out of business, but I often wonder how they lasted so long...

The novel sales were definitely a chunk of the explanation. For a few years there TSR was king of the bookstores.

But that died off in the early 90s I think. So the existence of their generous Random House arrangement was the piece that made it click for me how they could have limped along after their novels stopped being the draw that they once were.

Especially when you don't pay your writers what they are worth.

There's no "this makes me angry" button on these boards, so I have to settle for just clicking a like even though I don't like it

 

[Reynard]

The novel sales were definitely a chunk of the explanation. For a few years there TSR was king of the bookstores.

But that died off in the early 90s I think. So the existence of their generous Random House arrangement was the piece that made it click for me how they could have limped along after their novels stopped being the draw that they once were.


There's no "this makes me angry" button on these boards, so I have to settle for just clicking a like even though I don't like it

I am just at the part in the book where Thompson comes in and obliterated the book department.

 

[grimslade]

So weird to think that the fiction lines were what kept the lights on at TSR and it is no more. I wonder if the D&D brand will look to expand again into fiction sales or is it a dead industry to them? I wonder if the profit level on the fiction lines was similarly low to none after remainders and returns? Lord knows they paid well below industry standard to their authors.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Wait Dark Sun had adventures other than the one from the original box? And they sold loads of copies? Wow.

I don't think I have any of those, despite having both Dark Sun boxes and I believe all the Dark Sun sourcebooks.